This invention relates to used motor oil filters, and more particularly, to a system and method for recycling used "spin-on" motor oil filters in an environmentally acceptable manner in which all components of the used oil filters are recovered for reuse in other products.
In the past, used oil filters removed from internal combustion engines during oil changes have typically been disposed of by dumping them into landfills. Such oil filters generally comprise a substantially cylindrical canister (made of steel or another ferrous metal) having a filter element (usually comprising corrugated and/or multilayered cellulosic or other absorptive material) disposed inside the canister and an annular rubber gasket disposed on one face of the canister for sealing engagement with an engine block.
During engine operation, motor oil is circulated by an oil pump from the crankcase, through the filter element and back into the engine. After the engine has been operated for a period of time that can vary depending upon conditions of use, the filter element becomes plugged with waste matter filtered from the oil, and the oil rapidly becomes dirty, necessitating an oil change and replacement of the filter.
Because the filter elements of used oil filters are saturated with oil, other hydrocarbons and lesser quantities of various byproducts of combustion and engine wear, dumping them into a landfill can contribute to groundwater contamination as those materials leach out of the steel canisters with the passage of time. Stockpiling the used filters likewise creates both fire and environmental hazards due to the residual oil trapped in the filters and the oil that leaks out into the ground and underlying water table. Incineration, an alternative method of disposing of the used oil filters, is expensive, requires considerable energy consumption, and produces other byproducts harmful to the environment.
Recently, many states have either implemented or are considering the implementation of laws and regulations controlling the disposal of used oil filters and prohibiting dumping of the filters into landfills. For this reason, a system and method for recycling used oil filters in an environmentally acceptable manner, and preferably into other useful products, are needed.